Omisore’ll surprise Aregbesola on August 9 – Babatope

BY ALLWELL OKPI 

Chief Ebenezer Babatope
| credits: File copy

Former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, has said the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the August 9 Osun State governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, will spring surprises on the election day and defeat the incumbent, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, of the All Progressives Congress.

In an interview with our correspondent, Babatope, who is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, said the Federal Government was committed and ready to ensure the Osun election was free, fair and violent-free, adding that under such conditions, the PDP will emerge victorious.

He said, “As far as we are concerned, we know the election will be free and fair. Therefore, we are working hard and campaigning very hard, and we know that by the grace of God, we are going to win the election. We are preparing for an election that is going to be free, fair and without violence. We appeal to all Nigerians to tell the opposition party to stop all the threats they are issuing regarding the election. Our members are set to go and vote and they will not be disturbed by anybody. I’m sure we are going to have victory.”

Babatope added that contrary to popular opinion, Omisore was a strong grass-roots politician, who has taken his campaign from ward to ward in the state. He said the PDP candidate was quietly campaigning in all wards and villages in the state, adding the result of those campaign efforts will surprise everybody, including Aregbesola, on the election day.

He said, “I think people don’t know who Omisore is. Omisore is a grass-roots person. I can assure you that those who are saying Omisore is not a grass-roots person will regret saying that on August 9. They would be surprised. Omisore is not campaigning in the style that is known to many people, whereby they bring people from all over the place to attend rallies and make noise.

“Omisore is campaigning from ward to ward; from village to village. That is his campaign pattern and nothing can be more grass-roots than that. I want to assure you that by the grace of God, we are going to have a free and fair election and in that free and fair election, the PDP will win.”

Meanwhile, Omisore has pledged not to abandon any important project initiated by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration, if elected governor.

Omisore, who made this known in Osogbo, on Friday, through the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Mr. Lere Oyewumi, noted that he would complete only projects that his government considers beneficial to the people of the state.

He berated Aregbesola for allegedly embarking on the construction of Federal Government roads in the state without going through the normal process, adding that the Federal Government would not pay for the projects because it was not fully consulted.

Briefing journalists, Oyewumi said, “On roads and other infrastructural facilities, we have seen that we are going to inherit even more than we bargained for, we have promised the people of Osun State that we are not the type of government that will abandon any project because they were initiated by somebody else. How do we stop Gbongan-Sekona road, or how do we stop the roads passing through Osogbo-Ikirun-Esa Odo, the design of this was even done by Omisore himself when he was in the National Assembly,” he said.